Menu

Rape victims say military labels them ‘crazy’

CNN has interviewed women in all branches of the armed forces, including the Coast Guard, who tell stories that follow a similar pattern — a sexual assault, a command dismissive of the allegations and a psychiatric discharge.

Post navigation

One comment

I am a male veteran that served in the army for 4 months 16 days between November 1972-March of 1973 and while in AIT training at Ft. Knox while out on base at a local bowling alley I was drugged and raped by a staff sargent at the age of 17. The next day while in a class my instructor notice me acting odd and depressed and ask what was wrong. He took me out in the hall way. I told him that I had been drugged and sexually assaulted against my will by a staff sargent. The instructor calls me a liar and physically attacks me and some other soldiers had to pull him off me. I was taken to the infirmary where I saw a Psychologist who ask me did I want out of the service because it would not be safe for me to remain on base due to the accusations I had made. I ask him what kind of discharge and he said honorable under medical conditions for being imature and that I would not receive any benefits. He also told me not to repeat what had happen to me.So I was discharged. I also had several medical conditions due to an accident while out on manuvers during this time that were not treated properly and I have suffered with aggravating conditions that have cause me to have pain and several other accidents for which I have had to have major surgeries. I could not tell anyone nor my family for almost forty years for fear of ridicule. I wondered throughout life with a silent illness from depression, anxiety and PTSD. Here recently within the last 2 years a veteran told me to see a VA representive after I told him that while in the army I suffered from diabilitating injury that was covered up and swept under the rug by the brass. So I saw the representative who told me to get my military records and discharge papers and bring to the meeting. So I did this and told her my story and she filed a compensation and pension claim for bilaterial hearing lost, PTSD due military sexual assault and also filied an application for me to be in the VA Tennessee Valley Health care system. Which now I am enrolled in. I see a primary care doctor and a psychologist at Hopkinsville VA Clinic. I got the DAV to represent me in my claim which was denied and I filed for reconsideration that was accepted and has been being process for the last 8 months or so. I also filed additonal claims related to other physical injuries which is still in the process. When I received my records and saw my dd214 that said that I was discharged for being medically unfit at time of induction and had erroneously enlisted and if they had known of my prexisting issues they would not have allowed me to serve. Also documents that said I had an exteme drug abuse issues all my younger life. None of this is true and I was in the best physical shape in my life and local background and FBI checks show I did not have any past criminal problems. Nor did I ever test positive for drugs or alcohol in the service nor after. I filed a application with the defense department in Langley for a change of the characterization of my discharge that has been pending several months. I am going to a PTSD treatment program at Ft. Thomas in the near future. I read some of your statements and articles within the last few days and just wanted to share with you some of the experiences that I have been going through with the army and how they chacterized me as having perexisting issues and there was no mention of the sexual assault in my discharge or medical record during that time. I appreciate what you are doing for others and just wanted to express how the militray brass have been handling such issues for some time ago just like they handle victims of rape who have come forward and discharged them stating that they had preexisting personality disorders before induction. This a slap in the face. I will continue my fight. I have not went public with it accept with VA doctors and VA Regional and now I have an outside civilian psychogist. I have had to file social security disabillity and was denied and had to retain a lawyer. The sexual assault had emotionally cribbled me my entire life in relationships, job performance and attempted suicides. I will be willing to tell my story but it brings back a flood emotions and pain.